Add flares or not ?
 

I need some opinions , I have a 77s narrow body car and I recently purchased a set of 16x6 and 16x7 fuchs that look good on the car but the 7's are a little wide on the rear without sc flares, so I purchased a pair of sc flares and now I don't know if I want to give up the narrow body look and my reason being you see fewer narrow body cars on the roads which gives the car more of a vintage car feel.
So I guess my question is should I install the sc flares or sell/trade the 16x7's for a pair of 16x6's ?
Oh, by the way I'm planning on painting the car this winter so I need to decide soon. Thanks
Jim

Jim, FYI we have 6's and 7's (x15) on our narrow-bodied 73E. The rear tires are 215/60's. This just fits with some additional negative camber, maybe around -2°. How does this compare to your set-up?

I understand your concern...if you mod it, a middle year car would easily be confused with an SC, which are in abundance.

I'm torn about making our 73E into an RS clone...it's in very nice shape and it would be a pity to mod an early car that wasn't plentiful to begin with (Porsche made fewer 73E's than 73S's). But I really love the RS look. Oh well, narrow bodies are cool, too.

I would hold off on the flares. I think there are some guys on the board running 7's on narrow bodied cars. Maybe you could roll the fender lips?

Don't cut up your E Jim Richards! Thats why God made T's.;)

Jim,

It's a matter of taste. Are you planning on keeping this car? I also have a narrow body 77s which I just installed a 3.0L from an 80 model SC. I also bought front and rear CTR (Yellow bird) bumpers and a set of SC flares that I'm going to be installing in the next month or so.

Good luck and have fun with it.
Rick

Ultimately it's your car and you should feel free to do whatever you want. I was in a similar situation with my '76 a few years ago. It now has SC flares and 275/40-17 tires in the rear... :>)

Mike

Jim,
Like Mike says its your car, but I also have a '77 and I added SC flares a couple of years ago with absolutely no regrets. The two reasons were for looks and wheels-tires. Presently I'm running 15x6 Fuchs on the front and 15x8 fuchs on the back, but this winter I'm changing over to new 17" wheels. The choices for rubber is alot greater.
Tom

There is a guy on here running 17x17's cups on a narrow butt. I think he rolled the fender. I have 16x6's on the front and 7's on the back of my 76.

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm going to have the sc flares installed so I'll have a better tire / wheel selection down the road. I need to lower the car and I don't think rolling the fenders will help enough.
Jim

Jim, I am going thtough the same dilemna at the moment- although I have more time to think about it.
I think the SC flares look better and the tire choice improved + of course the added cornerring performance.
I also feel that the narrow bodied cars will soon be rare unless people start 'narrow body conversions' :rolleyes:
I may add the flares one day but only if I intend to cannibalise the car and strip out the expensive interior the PO installed! and all of the heavy extras (A/C,Stereo,seats etc)
I know this doesnt help your chosing much - but you are not the only one facing this choice.
My car had a recent respray, so that means I will wait.
If you are about to respray then I would so go for it!
Ben

If you install the SC flares you may end up wanting even wider rims than 6's and 7's, particularly in the rear. I've got 7's on the back of mine and I don't like the look at all. Nothing a 22-26mm spacer won't solve though.

Marc
Could you post a picture of your car for me ? You've got me debating again . Thanks
Jim

You WILL want the wider rims- I tried the 1" spacers but in the end purchased 8" Fuchs for the rear and moved the 7's up front!
Ben

From the front:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1065310876.jpg

From the rear:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1065310911.jpg

I much prefer the look of 7's and 9's with the flares....fills out the fenders much better.

Edit: Like my discolored paint caused by the to-short GHL exhaust tip (no split welds though ;))? SSI's and a Dansk two-in, two out are soon to come.

I'm in the same boat. Spacers are certainly cheaper than 8's or 9's though. What made you decide to ditch the spacers?

Marc
Are your wheels 15's or 16's ?
Jim

Ben
Do you have a rear picture of your 911T ? I saw the pic's you posted in another topic and your car looks great . My wheels are fully polished also so your pic's are a big help. Thanks
Jim

16's.

what do you guys think it should reasonably cost to add SC flares to a mid-year car?

I think someone here has 6x16 on an early Targa. Also Bo had 17 cups on his mid year Targa. I know he had some tire rubbing, but 7x16 should be possible then. What if you add negative camber?

K9 has a narrow car too. Anyone who remember what wheels he has on the car? Maybe he can help?

At the moment I have the basic 15x6 fuchs with 205/65/15 Yoko's.
I have attempted 17x7 and 17x8 Cups (from a 968) but spacers and nagative camber would be needed to clear them...with the tight part being the oil lines.

I have a set of 15x7 phone dials that have winter tires on them but the offset is not correct so 1/2 inch spacers are needed all around to clear the oil line in the rear and the struts in the front.

So getting a 17x8 in the rear is possible with rolled lips, spacers, and negative camber...but I would just rather go with 16x7 all around with 205/55 in the front and 225/50 in the rear.

SmileWavy

Jim- Sorry for the delay getting these to you- hope you are still following this thread!.
I have 205's all round although I think I could squeeze a slightly larger rear tire if they do a 215?.
Otherwise I was concidering putting a narrower front tire as I don't want the car to have understeer.
I am going to remain narrow for the moment as I have not fully descided whether to put this girl on a diet and go the lightweight/track day car route.
hope this helps
Ben
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1068300402.jpg http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1068300648.jpg

very nice Ben...looks great and you can go a little wider on the rear 8" a 225/50 would be sweet! Just have to find em I guess...that's the hard part these days.

Hear, hear. And although I see your little smile, I think God only approved. :D

Seems to me that adding smaller front tires will only increase the understeer.

Also, there is virtually no way to fit 8 inch wheels on the rear of a narrow bodied car. Won't work. You can fit 225/45/15's on the back if you use seven inch wheels. This is what I have on my car. I am considering the flaring of the rear specifically so that I can mount 8 inch rear wheels.

I think the 911R wheel will work too but that is another league altogether in price.

But, does anyone have any ideas as to what flaring with steel should reasonably cost?

doe anybody know the part number for thr 911R 7x15 wheels??

Actually, Marcesq managed to get 16x8s under the rear of his non-flared '77 3.2 targa. I think he used 951 ('86 model only) teledials and it looks great!

I have heard that those specific wheels *may* fit if the camber is right but I think you've got to do some delicate finishing. I guess I was thinking of Fuchs only for some reason.

I have seen an 8" cup wheel from a 968, and I have attempted this as well...with a fender roll, neg camber and a spacer that baby would get under there!

I have a 74 narrow body.

I have the 993 Turbo Twists 17”x 8” front & 17”x9.5” rear. Potenza tires 205 front 255 rear.

Seems to be okay on my car

Here is a picture (yes she needs a wash)
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1068449221.jpg

I have 15x7s all around on my narrow 69. Tires are 205/55-15's. Fender lips are rolled slightly and the car is VERY low with no clearance issues! I vote: No Flares! :D

http://gallery.rennlist.com/albums/Wind/912A6.jpg

Ben
Thanks for the pic's . Since I have all the parts and I'm getting ready for a repaint I've decided to add the sc flares . This should open more options for my car in the future. Thanks
Jim

exc911ence, I also run 15x7s without problems...

So, I agree... Just say NO to flares! :D

Frostie...that is no narrow body.

Im torn on the flares. I think I would rather have them on a post 74 car. The car would look just like a SC, but this would not be a bad thing at all.

Since I was looking for a RS clone when I bought my '73 project car, the buttwelded SC flares that were already on it were a big selling point for me. My '72 is unflared, and will stay that way as long as I own it. I like them both.

I think the unflared cars have a great stance with 7" wheels at all four corners. You may have to beef up your suspension or roll your fender lips to keep the wheels from rubbing, but its a lot less dramatic than welding on flares. There are a bunch of great looking narrow bodied cars here. Bens targa, exc911ence's car above are good examples. p-thomas's car, and pwd72s green S are two others that come to mind immediately.

Boy I got lots to learn…LOL

My girls isn’t a narrow body? She defiantly is no 930 hahaha

For the 'newbie' here...

What is a narrow body?

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1068481832.jpg

This is a narrow body...notice no flare at all...well maybe 2"

SmileWavy

Thanx K9…

So I don’t sound stupid in the future…

What would you call my 911?

:confused:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1068482589.jpg

If being rare is your thing, maybe you should consider the other extreme. Instead of not adding flares to stay rare, why not add the biggest flares from an rsr, that would also make it rare right?

Frostie that appears to be an SC flare.